Visualising corporate brands: Towards a framework of brandmark expression

Abstract

Despite the increased attention in corporate brand identity, there remains very little conceptual apparatus for understanding the types of expressions that feature in a corporate logo (brandmark). This paper proposes a conceptual framework that outlines the expressive dimensions of corporate brandmarks, and, in doing so, draws upon a thematic analysis of 243 archival documents. The results revealed that the framework had the capacity to accommodate 95 per cent of expressions from an expansive sample of cases. The early indications are that brandmarks predominantly convey one or more of four types of organisational expression. While further refinement in the specification and operationalisation of this framework is necessary, this research offers a preliminary step towards the development of a typology of corporate brandmark expressions and therefore has relevance to scholars and managers.